Chapter 139: Deduction

Che Wuyou took out all the medicinal herbs he had collected. Enhancing his strength was now of the utmost importance, but simply taking pills himself would yield little effect. The best course of action was to quickly awaken Yun Fan. However, since Yun Fan had recently consumed a Three-Star Pill, there was a constant fear that his body could not handle such potent nourishment. If he were to ingest any other pills now, wouldn't he burst from excessive internal energy? Che Wuyou could not help falling into deep thought.

Suddenly, Che Wuyou's eyes lit up. If only he could give Yun Fan a 'Harmonizing Pill'! That way, not only could he rapidly digest the Three-Star Pill, but it would also solidify his foundation and nourish his constitution—it would be entirely beneficial without a single drawback.

As it turned out, the recipe for the Harmonizing Pill had been secretly passed down to him by his senior martial sister, Liu Lanzhi. Like the Three-Star Pill, the Harmonizing Pill belonged to the top tier of Yellow-grade elixirs. Within the Miao family, it was treated as a forbidden existence, and ordinary disciples simply did not possess it. However, Liu Lanzhi held a very special status in the Miao family, and Miao Shilin considered her to be exceptionally gifted—a true piece of untutored jade. Therefore, he had broken the rules and taught her many superior medicinal recipes.

Yet, when Miao Shilin imparted these secrets to Liu Lanzhi, he had strictly admonished her that these recipes must never be divulged under any circumstances, not even to his several direct disciples. But Liu Lanzhi was young and presumptuous, relying heavily on her master's doting affection. Seeing how diligently Che Wuyou memorized pill formulas, she had secretly passed these restricted recipes on to him.

Recalling this, Che Wuyou felt a warm surge in his chest. Senior Sister Liu Lanzhi had truly been kind to him. Aside from Liu Lanzhi, there was likely no one else in this world who would treat him with genuine sincerity. As he thought about this, his mind drifted to the *Qihuang Classics* that Liu Lanzhi had gifted him. Aside from body-refining techniques, the *Qihuang Classics* also recorded several precious medical recipes, though they had now been taken away by Li Muqiu. Once he got out, he would definitely have to find a way to make Li Muqiu return the *Qihuang Classics*.

Although Che Wuyou had thought of such a miraculous elixir as the Harmonizing Pill, when he searched through his collection of herbs, he discovered that he was still missing a primary ingredient: Dragon-Beard Grass. This was an indispensable component for refining the Harmonizing Pill. Many of the auxiliary ingredients could be substituted—though the medicinal efficacy would be greatly diminished and the success rate of concocting the pill would be affected—the Dragon-Beard Grass was absolutely mandatory; without it, refinement was utterly impossible.

Looking at the large pile of herbs before him, Che Wuyou could not help feeling troubled. What should he do now? Should he wander around with two invalids in tow? In the event that he encountered an invincible enemy in the central region of the third floor, his treasures, along with Yun Fan's Boundless Sword, would likely become spoils for someone else.

Che Wuyou paced back and forth in place. If he were to search for the Dragon-Beard Grass, where on earth could he find it in the vast, boundless space of this third floor? Furthermore, this assumed that Dragon-Beard Grass even existed on the third floor; what if it wasn't here at all? Che Wuyou slowly clenched his fists. He was now a formidable master at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm, and combined with his mastery of body-refining techniques, he was not necessarily incapable of fighting ordinary enemies. How could he hesitate and cower like this?

Once he made up his mind, Che Wuyou set off toward the central region. However, before he had traveled very far, Yun Fan suddenly jolted awake, muttering deliriously, "Treasures, treasures, they're all mine..."

Hearing this, Che Wuyou felt a twinge of amusement. This fellow had actually sensed treasures again. Yet, aloud, he remarked, "Even if there are countless treasures now, what use are they? If luck is against us and we run into a ruthless powerhouse, they'll all belong to someone else. If you truly have any ability, help me find some Dragon-Beard Grass so you can recover your vitality sooner."

Che Wuyou had merely spoken casually, but to his utter astonishment, no sooner had the words left his mouth than Yun Fan forcefully broke through the sleep-inducing acupoint that Che Wuyou had sealed. He then sat cross-legged on the spot and began deducing with a solemn expression. Staring in shock, Che Wuyou did not dare to step forward and interrupt—not for any other reason, but because he was afraid Yun Fan might deliver another vicious kick to him.

After watching for a moment, Che Wuyou noticed that Yun Fan, who usually appeared naive, innocent, and somewhat foolish, now looked extremely grave, as if he were truly deep into some serious calculation. Although his face was pale—almost morbidly so—and despite his very young and somewhat comical appearance, his hands continuously traced mysterious trajectories, giving off an esoteric and profound aura.

After a long while, Yun Fan slowly opened his eyes. Yet he appeared even weaker now, trailing off into a state more fragile than before he had taken the Three-Star Pill. He gasped for air heavily, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood with a retching sound, and then closed his eyes for a long time before speaking. "The Dragon-Beard Grass is here..."

As he spoke, Yun Fan traced a winding, convoluted route on the ground with his finger. "You follow this path, keep walking, and then go to this place... This is the destination. If you can reach here, you should be able to find the Dragon-Beard Grass. Have you memorized it clearly?"

"I... It's so complicated, how am I supposed to remember all this? How about this: I'll carry you on my back, and you can guide me as we go. How does that sound?" Che Wuyou scratched his head in embarrassment. Yun Fan truly overestimated his supreme talent; looking at those winding paths made Che Wuyou's head spin. How was he supposed to commit that to memory on the spur of the moment?

To his surprise, the moment he finished speaking, Yun Fan coughed up yet another direct spray of blood with a sickening sound. Following that, a grayish-white hue spread across Yun Fan's face, and he only managed to murmur faintly, "Mother was right, this art of divination must never be used lightly..." Right after that, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed into a dead faint, refusing to wake up no matter how violently Che Wuyou shook him.

Seeing how Yun Fan could lose consciousness instantly and vomit blood so severely, Che Wuyou could not help feeling deeply anxious. He carefully examined Yun Fan once more, causing his brows to knit tightly in heavy concern. He hadn't seen Yun Fan do anything strenuous, so why was his condition this dreadful? It could only be described as utterly deplorable, far worse than the aftermath of a desperate, bloody brawl with the steel giant.

"Could it be... could this damn Dragon-Beard Grass calculation have nearly drained him dry?" Looking at the completely unconscious Yun Fan, Che Wuyou wore a grim expression. Just how many pills would it take to nurse him back to complete health? And was the winding map he had drawn genuine or false? Could he really be certain that the Dragon-Beard Grass was truly there? What if someone else picked it before he arrived?

Yet, did he have any other choice at this point? Che Wuyou genuinely wanted to slap himself across the face. Even if the Dragon-Beard Grass was successfully harvested, and even if he managed to refine the Harmonizing Pill, he had to remember that many of the auxiliary ingredients were mere substitutes, meaning the failure rate was unpredictably high—even assuming he truly succeeded in concocting the Harmonizing Pill.

However, the medicinal potency of the Three-Star Pill had already been completely exhausted by Yun Fan's recent divination. He shuddered to think how many vitality-boosting pills he would need to craft just to restore Yun Fan to his original state. The more Che Wuyou thought about it, the more bitter his heart became; at this rate, he might as well just kill him and put an end to it.